We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates -things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed. So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.

Citizen Becomes Denizen (Silver Spring, MD) – Responding to a cease-and-desist letter lodged by the DC Brau Brewing Company on December 6, Citizens Brewing is no more – and has renamed itself Denizens Brewing Company. One of DC Brau’s flagship beers is named The Citizen and the brewery was concerned that another brewery using that name could lead to brand confusion.

Crowdsourced Beer Going National (Madison, WI) – MobCraft Beer founders Henry Schwartz, Andrew Gierczak, and Giotto Troia come from long lines of entrepreneurs and fermentation adventurers and now they’re claiming to have created the first “Crowdsourced Beer Platform” in the world. MobCraft brews batches of beer based on votes from the brewery’s local fans. And starting this month, users from outside of Madison, Wisconsin, can cast a vote and make the final purchase through an online liquor store.

Epic Annex Now in Operation (Salt Lake City, UT) – Epic Brewing’s new small-batch brewing annex is now up and running. The Annex by Epic Brewing holds a 7 barrel, 217 gallon system that is situated in the basement of the restaurant with an open section near the entrance, where patrons can view the brewers at work. The two-kettle system was specifically designed to fit the available space and provide the flexibility needed to brew the kinds of creative and experimental small-batch beers that the brewery’s known for.

Westbrook Makes a Remarkable Move! (Mt. Pleasant, SC) – The South Carolina-based Westbrook Brewing Company will be bringing their brand to New York State craft beer fans just in time for the holidays. The brewery has partnered with upstate New York’s only “Craft Exclusive” distributor, Remarkable Liquids, who starting today will distribute their serious beers to Hudson Valley and upstate NY. Westbrook Brewing was founded in 2010 with the simple mission to make the most interesting, drinkable, and generally awesome beer possible – and we think they’re getting that done.

Making a Point (Stevens Point, WI) – Having expanded their annual brewing capacity by 150,000 barrels earlier this year, you’d think that Stevens Point Brewery might be ready for a breather – but evidently not. In an effort to meet increasing demand for its handcrafted beers, they’ve announced that they’ll be investing $1.5 million in equipment and infrastructure upgrades in the coming year.